Choose Your Adventure on St. Augustine-Area Beaches
![North Beach Skim Board Girls FHC agency shot](https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/North-Beach-SkimBoard_Girl-v1559944418.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=6046bc4186fa02020a24e4984e05a30f 320w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/North-Beach-SkimBoard_Girl-v1559944418.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=8a22e1d12a967eab163059801aba67b3 540w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/North-Beach-SkimBoard_Girl-v1559944418.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=d67b3380f7bbc789a53989ed0b22fbf1 750w)
Go Birding, Boarding or Boating
On the beaches of St. Augustine, a single day can deliver a lifetime of memories. Bask in the glow of nature at its finest; beautiful birds, bountiful fishing and miles of unspoiled shoreline at once inspire relaxation, reflection and recreation. So rise and shine, don your swimwear and prepare for an illuminating adventure.
Birding
A stroll along the strands of Anastasia State Park is an ideal way to greet the day, sipping coffee and communing with nature and tranquility. The expression "quiet as a mouse" is perhaps nowhere more appropriate than here. Anastasia Island is home to the endangered Anastasia Beach Mouse, a curious nocturnal creature that lives in the sand dunes and survives on seeds from sea oats.
Anastasia nurtures many types of wildlife and offers ample opportunities for birding, even in spring and summer. Watch for nesting least and royal terns, brown pelicans, ring-billed gulls and black skimmers. You might see a great blue heron and a laughing gull, all while sauntering along these shell-sprinkled shores.
Boarding and Boating
If you’d like to pick up the pace, catch a wave on a surfboard, wakeboard or windsurfer. This is one of the most exhilarating places to hang ten on Florida’s East Coast. The high-flying sport of kiteboarding has made a splash on St. Augustine’s beaches: Matanzas Inlet is internationally renowned as a kiteboarding mecca. Ocean toys are available for rent; watersports instruction, canoeing, kayaking and abundant fishing provide myriad choices for fun in the sun.
Enjoy a mid-day repast from the concession stand, picnic in the park or head on over to Village Garden Food Truck Park for eclectic food options. After lunch, lounge – it’s good for you! Soak up some vitamin D while reflecting on the beauty of the beach, then see the sunlit sands of St. Augustine from a seabird’s point of view. Climb to the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum for a spectacular vista.
Dining
Afterwards, travel north to serene Vilano Beach, where sharks’ teeth are scattered throughout the unusual coquina sands; fish from the pier, jetties or surf. For dinner, find fresh seafood and panoramic views of the Atlantic at The Reef of St. Augustine. As darkness descends, the sun readies for a bright new day, and so should you. Each one holds new and delightful discoveries.
Outstanding Optional Excursions
Marineland Dolphin Adventure, the world’s first "oceanarium," is home to a Dolphin Conservation Center – an innovative, interactive center devoted to bringing together people and these fascinating marine mammals.
At the GTM Research Reserve, you can see life-size models of a Northern right whale and her calf, manta rays and cobia. Aquariums, hands-on exhibits, art displays and educational programs provide an insightful introduction to the relationship between the creatures that make their home offshore and in the Guana Tolomato Matanzas estuary.
Schedule a nighttime kayak excursion with GeoTrippin' Adventure Company for their bioluminescence tours held on select nights at the GTM Research Reserve.
Explore More
![a rainbow striped umbrella shades white sandy beaches at Crescent Beach](https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/CRESCENT_BEACH-v1555620971.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=213&q=80&w=320&s=5f7cd4569bc8b710f751d100405266b5 320w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/CRESCENT_BEACH-v1555620971.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=360&q=80&w=540&s=a2e8fb06aaf2accc379194b82cc50596 540w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/CRESCENT_BEACH-v1555620971.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=512&q=80&w=768&s=0b8e5b89823936d2eded96870d35c74a 768w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/CRESCENT_BEACH-v1555620971.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=683&q=80&w=1024&s=6501f5b217bebfc702b5461f2e4da6a5 1024w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/CRESCENT_BEACH-v1555620971.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=800&q=80&w=1200&s=fa2aa5bee0c146ae2b56524ad9a71a15 1200w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/CRESCENT_BEACH-v1555620971.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=960&q=80&w=1440&s=6f4b6cb02dcc32a3c38f7b92dd2032ad 1440w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/CRESCENT_BEACH-v1555620971.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1280&q=80&w=1920&s=fcfe48f5a7571e705cf29faa6a6a8baa 1620w)
Crescent Beach
This might be your new happy place.
![Woman on beach](https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/meta-images/womanonbeach-v1556739295.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=213&q=80&w=320&s=f229018b32e7c9073e6aff311cccd6ce 320w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/meta-images/womanonbeach-v1556739295.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=360&q=80&w=540&s=f3213c44fb88213ef16e8d4f56e90dd7 540w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/meta-images/womanonbeach-v1556739295.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=512&q=80&w=768&s=17bbc9165a9fb60ee7d371397b574678 750w)
Beach Day Packing Essentials
Pack these must-haves in your beach bag to make the most of your time in St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra…
![Beach Family](https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/Beach-Family-v15825645390.31260.4393.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=213&q=80&w=320&s=aca79e14e39fbf878b267f23953ed519 320w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/Beach-Family-v15825645390.31260.4393.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=360&q=80&w=540&s=ae0daec1611dc2e1087548f0a6760147 540w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/Beach-Family-v15825645390.31260.4393.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=512&q=80&w=768&s=e1ea936b68d03cbfa15639efd5171947 768w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/Beach-Family-v15825645390.31260.4393.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=683&q=80&w=1024&s=f74a12c8efbede6140cf5c405bbc6e0f 1024w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/Beach-Family-v15825645390.31260.4393.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=800&q=80&w=1200&s=00afe03bae03bdb489a755dec966dbe1 1200w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/Beach-Family-v15825645390.31260.4393.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=960&q=80&w=1440&s=903fc6b9af450ebe5a77cd4dda9042da 1440w, https://fl-historic-coast.imgix.net/images/Beach-Family-v15825645390.31260.4393.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1280&q=80&w=1920&s=e566e62371b220a589e07eeecac0d794 1620w)
Beaches along Florida’s Historic Coast are Perfect for Families!
Claim your beach. There are plenty to choose from and lots to do.
More than 500 years ago, Ponce de Leon spotted beautiful, inviting beaches that drew him to shore and led to the first documented European discovery of Florida.
Related Content:
Marineland Dolphin Adventure9600 N. Oceanshore Blvd.
St. Augustine, Florida 32080
GTM Research Reserve Visitor Center505 Guana River Rd.
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 32082
The Reef Restaurant4100 Coastal Hwy.
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum100 Red Cox Dr.
St. Augustine, Florida 32080
Anastasia State Park300 Anastasia Park Rd.
St. Augustine, Florida 32080
Anastasia Watersports850 Anastasia Park Rd.
St. Augustine, Florida 32080
Village Garden Food Truck Park1480 S. Old A1A
St. Augustine, Florida 32080
GeoTrippin Adventure Company291 Cubbedge Road
St. Augustine, Florida 32080
The Reef Restaurant4100 Coastal Hwy.
St. Augustine, Florida 32084